The study – by the UvA, the University of Nottingham and Aarhus University – is built on a new framework called CRISP (Conformity through Respect, Incentives, Social Expectations, and Preferences) and explores the core behavioural mechanisms that drive rule-following. Through a series of large-scale experiments involving over 14,000 participants, the researchers discovered that people often comply with rules simply because they believe it is the right thing to do—even in private settings where breaking the rules would bring personal gain and cause no harm to others.

Challenging the traditional view

‘Our findings challenge the traditional economic view that people follow rules only when there are extrinsic incentives,’ says co-author Lucas Molleman. ‘Instead, we show that intrinsic respect for rules and the desire to meet social expectations are fundamental to understanding rule-following behaviour.’

In the first of four experiments, participants were placed in anonymous, isolated settings and presented with a financially tempting opportunity to break a rule. Surprisingly, 55–70% of individuals still chose to follow the rule, despite having nothing to lose by violating it. This suggests that a significant portion of the population adheres to rules out of an internalised sense of duty—what the researchers call “unconditional rule-following”.

Socially appropriate

Further experiments tested the power of social expectations, revealing that participants expected others to follow the rules and considered such behaviour socially appropriate. ‘We found that humans are wired to anticipate how others expect them to behave,’ says Molleman. ‘Even when alone, people form internal beliefs about what is socially appropriate and adjust their actions accordingly.’

To complete the picture, additional experiments introduced pro-social motives and extrinsic incentives such as social consequences and sanctions. These factors further increased rule-following rates to 78%, but the researchers emphasise that high rates of conformity were already present in the absence of these added pressures.

Intrinsic respect and social expectation

The CRISP framework, which integrates insights from psychology, economics, sociology, and philosophy, provides a robust foundation for understanding the complexity of rule-following behaviour. It identifies four key drivers: intrinsic respect for rules, social expectations, extrinsic incentives, and social preferences. According to the study, the first two—intrinsic respect and social expectations—are the most influential and widespread.

These findings have broad implications for policy-making, law enforcement and organisational governance. If rule-following stems from internal moral standards and perceived social norms, then cultivating a culture of respect and shared values may be more effective than relying solely on deterrence and punishment.

Sincere belief

The study offers a powerful reminder of the human capacity for ethical behaviour—and the subtle, often unseen forces that sustain cooperation in complex societies. ‘Ultimately, our research suggests that people do not merely respond to rewards and punishments,’ says Molleman. ‘They also act out of a sincere belief in the legitimacy of rules and a desire to live up to what they believe others expect of them.’

Publication details

Simon Gaechter, Lucas Molleman, Daniele Nosenzo: 'Why people follow rules'. Nature Human Behaviour, doi: 10.1038/s41562-025-02196-4, 26 May 2025.